Idaho Racing News

By Jon Brown

MERIDIAN, Idaho -- Johnny Giesler’s luck changed in a big way Saturday night at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway.
The defending series champion in the Pepsi Sprintcars erased bad early-season memories with a devastating victory in a 30-lap main event that saw three drivers in front of him in the 2010 points standings crash out in one fell swoop.
“We struggled a lot,” Giesler said, reflecting on the first two nights of Pepsi Sprintcars in which he had problems in practice. “We had this car bare-framed Tuesday night, and here it is Saturday. And it’s all because of (my crew, which includes Lemoyne and Bryan Warf).”
Joining Giesler as a main event winner Saturday was Boise’s Scott Durbin, who triumphed in his first race of the year in the College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving School Street Stocks. In a strange Thunder Dogs main event, Fare Lady pulled into the pits with a lap to go to cement his third-place winning finish (more on that later). Fifteen-year-old Colin Parker won the Tates Rents Hornets feature.
Giesler held a four-second winning margin over fellow Meridian racer Carl Marcum, but it didn’t come without a teaspoon of frustration down the stretch.
Giesler passed Marcum on the back stretch with 12 laps to go, but had to settle back into second place when the top three drivers in the points standings -- leader Wyatt King, second-place Joe Ransom and third-place Kelly Newman (all of Boise) -- crashed out in a spectacular wreck in Turn 4.
King slammed into the wall and catch fence when his tire hopped off the tire of a competitor while he, Ransom and Newman battled for position behind Marcum and Giesler.
But Giesler’s stay in second place was short-lived. He chose to start side-by-side with Marcum when the green flag was dropped again, and sprinted to the lead for good.
Giesler’s success probably will shake up the standings with none of the top-three drivers finishing the race.
A veteran driver, Durbin used a familiar car to work his way to the front for a successful debut in the Street Stocks.
He went to the front with seven laps to go and took home the checkered flag in the College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving School Street Stocks. Durbin was driving the colorful No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro owned by Les Schild, who ran under the nickname The Undertaker for years.
“This is fun. There’s a lot of competition in this class,” Durbin said after surviving a 30-lap main event that was run exclusively under green-flag conditions.
Durbin and Nampa, Idaho’s Jeffrey Meads battle side-by-side behind Old Meadows, Idaho, driver Jerry Krahn for most of the race. Krahn bolted from the field in the early going, but his car went away and Durbin, Meads and series leader Melissa Scott of Nampa quickly gobbled up his advantage.
Meads held on for second place despite mechanical difficulties earlier in the day and a fierce door-to-door shootout in the main with Scott, who had won the first two feature races of the season.
“It was an awesome time,” Meads said. “Things started terrible. We didn’t have brakes, and I didn’t think we were going to have a chance to race. We had a great time tonight.”
Driving a bright blue car to match his dyed hair, Parker walked off with the victory in the 30-lap Hornets feature. Points leader Art Heath was gaining on Parker, but ran out of time.
Fare Lady, driven by Kennan Irons of Boise, was declared the winner after a wet and wacky 20-lap main event for the Thunder Dogs. A water truck from Ada Sand & Gravel soaked the pavement before the green flag flew.
The object of the race was, first, to survive, then make sure to not be the first or second car across the finish line at the checkered flag.
Fare Lady ducked into the pits with one lap to go, leaving the Cougar (Scott Duddoth) as the last car on the track -- and the first to cross the finish line in a race where third-best was the best.
Next Saturday, Meridian Speedway drivers go Racing for a Reason as the track helps raise funds for the Boise Special Olympics and local Lions Club with Boxcar Races and the first appearance of the season by the Intermountain and West Coast Vintage Sprintcars. The Idaho Six-cylinder Racing League also will compete. Regular Meridian classes scheduled to hit the track include Latemodel Sportsman, Mini Stocks and Jr. Stingers.
Admission is $10 for adults, $7.50 for military personnel with ID and senior citizens, $6 for children ages 7-11 and children 6 and younger are free, as always.
Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing at 6:30 p.m.
Advance tickets are available at participating Treasure Valley NAPA Auto Parts stores.
For more information, visit www.meridianspeedway.com or call (208) 888-2813.
Meridian Speedway
Smash-o-Rama
Presented by Canyon Honda
Saturday's unofficial results
Main events
CWI Professional Truck Driving School Street Stocks (30 laps) --
1. Scott Durbin, Boise, Idaho; 2. Jeffrey Meads, Nampa, Idaho; 3. Melissa Scott, Nampa; 4. Marv Weaver, Nampa; 5. Jerry Krahn, Old Meadows, Idaho
Pepsi Sprintcars (30 laps) --
1. Johnny Giesler, Meridian, Idaho; 2. Carl Marcum, Meridian; 3. Rob Grice, Nampa; 4. Josh Allen, Meridian; 5. Eric Ransom, Boise
Thunderdogs (20 laps) --
1. Fare Lady (Kennon Irons, Boise); 2. Soccer Mom Too (John Pinkston, Meridian); 3. The Cougar (Scott Duddoth)
Tates Hornets (30 laps) --
Not completed at press time.
Heat races
(8 laps each)
Pepsi Sprintcars
A Heat --
1. Kelly Newman, Boise; 2. Wyatt King, Meridian; 3. Rob Grice, Nampa; 4. Johnny Giesler, Meridian; 5. Eric Ransom, Boise
B Heat --
1. Joe Ransom, Boise; 2. Chad Cannon, Nampa; 3. Carl Marcum, Boise; 4. Victor Clark, Meridian; 5. TJ Labronte, Meridian
CWI PTDS Street Stocks
A Heat --
1. Marv Weaver, Nampa; 2. Shawn Hansen, Boise; 3. Scott; 4. Scott Durbin, Boise; 5. Jeffrey Meads, Nampa
B Heat --
1. Micky Lawson, Caldwell, Idaho; 2. Nick Lane, Caldwell; 3. Scott Murri; 4. Jake Petero, Ontario, Ore.; 5. Pat Young, Kuna, Idaho
C Heat
-- 1. Jim Anderson, Meridian; 2. Jerry Krahn, Old Meadows, Idaho; 3. Daniel Vanderveen, Nampa; 4. Bobby Riggs, Fruitland, Idaho
Tates Hornets
A Heat --
1. Art Heath, Nampa; 2. Mary Johnson, Meridian; 3. Marshall Burnham, Nampa; 4. Mike Fortin, Durkee, Ore.; 5. Brian Burger
B Heat --
1. Colin Parker; 2. Danny Cannington, Nampa; 3. Ron Johnson, Weiser, Idaho; 4. Wes Summers, Meridian; 5. Kristal Schon, Fruitland
C Heat --
1. Casey Tillman, Kuna; 2. Nick Martinez; 3. Kendrick Preston, Pilot Rock, Ore.; 4. Kelly Stephens, Nampa; 5. Shane Parkkila, Boise
Thunderdogs
A Heat --
1. Hot Wheels (Brett Sullivan, Boise); 2. Old School (Dakota Allen, Kuna); 3. Redneck Rampage; 4. IP Freely; 5. Winged Snot Rod (Chris Carlson, Boise)
B Heat --
1. Soccer Mom Too (John Pinkston, Meridian); 2. The Cougar (Scott Duddoth); 3. Fare Lady (Kennon Irons, Boise); 4. Can You Hear Me Now (Tillman); 5. The Generado (Travis Pavlacky, Fruitland)
Fast times
Pepsi Sprintcars --
Giesler, 13.146 seconds
CWI PTDS Street Stocks --
Scott, 15.128